Getting Started with Ankle Blocks
Okay, so I decided to really focus on my ankles the other day. They’ve been feeling stiff, especially when I try to sit back on my heels or get low in a squat. Heard people talking about using blocks, thought I’d document trying it out myself.
First thing, I grabbed my basic foam blocks. Had them lying around for ages. Nothing special, just standard ones. Didn’t really have a plan, just wanted to see if they’d help with the tightness and maybe give some support.
Trying Things Out
I started with trying to sit back on my heels, kinda like in that Hero Pose some folks do. Usually, this kills my ankles right away.
- First attempt: Put a block under my butt. Okay, that took some pressure off, but the tops of my feet and ankles still felt jammed against the floor.
- Second attempt: Tried putting the blocks directly under my ankles. This was awkward. Couldn’t quite get the positioning right; they kept slipping or felt weirdly angled. Honestly, rolling up a small towel under the front of my ankles felt a bit better for cushioning in that pose. The block was better for lifting my hips up higher though.
Then I moved onto squats. This is where things got interesting. My heels ALWAYS lift off the ground when I squat deep. It’s annoying and feels unstable.
So, I placed the blocks under my heels. Wedge side up sometimes, flat other times. Made a huge difference right away. Felt way more stable. I could actually go deeper into the squat without feeling like I was gonna tip over backward. I could focus on my posture more. Played around with the height setting on the blocks – the lowest setting was enough to give me that support I needed.
What I Found
Using the blocks under the heels for squats? Definitely a keeper. It just worked. Simple, effective. Made squats feel much more grounded and accessible.
For directly supporting the ankles while sitting on my heels, the blocks weren’t the magic bullet I thought they might be, at least not used directly under the joint like I first tried. Maybe it’s my ankle shape, maybe it’s the block type. The towel felt more comfortable for direct cushioning there. But lifting the hips with the block was still useful, just indirectly.
It’s pretty straightforward stuff, really. Just putting a solid object where you need a bit of lift or support. Took some fiddling around to see what felt right for my body. No complex techniques needed, just trying it out.
Wrapping Up
So yeah, that was my little experiment with ankle blocks. They’re definitely staying in my routine, especially for squats. For the seated stuff, I’ll keep playing around, maybe try different placements or combining with other props. It’s all about figuring out what works for you, right? Just gotta try things.
